Sakib Moghal You really should try to get some facts right if you want to be taken seriously. Inflating figures, missing out vital facts such as the role of the Christian phalangists. One thing you did get right, the Palestinian movement is flawed. The main one being, that it refuses to accept the existance of the State of Israel. THIS is the main obstacle to the palestinian Arabs getting a state. Every thing else follows on from this one single fact!

Commenter Malopolanin: "...perhaps you should return to Poland and let the Arabs live in peace. Jews are a natural people of Poland not of Palestine".
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You're a little bit shy choosing words. Looks like you invite Jews not to Poland in general, but to Osvienčim.
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Thanks, but no thanks.

So Binyamin Netanyahu coerces Shaul Mofaz into aligning with the Likud knowing that Mofaz will suffer horribly in an early election. This postpones Netanyahus election efforts to maintain control, and in return for maintaining the 28 Kadima seats, Mofaz would have been asked to ease off with his talks of peace, and restraint.

Mofaz has sold out those who voted for him and democracy in israel has been suppressed. In addition, they will tap new resources to increase the size of their standing army. (But they sure as hell don’t want the Arab israelis to hold the guns or they might just vote with their trigger fingers.)

My guess is, israel will begin to put a lot more pressure on Barak Obama and will start another war with its neighbours.

Do you remember how Kadima was created? That's right, Ariel Sharon "sold out those who voted for him" (to use your own words) by splitting up the Likud party.
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What is happening now is cows come home. Nothing tragic, quite the opposite. And purely democratic to that.

Unless I am wrong, Israeli leaders are trying hard to prepare themselves and the nation for the forthcoming war against Iran and Syria. This, apart from the expected "heating" of the permanent war with the so-called Palestinians that, with the help of the United Nations and its many commissions, committees, etc., will never end.

Taking the notorious Arab Spring as an example, the Middle East is and will always be a place where human life is cheap and law and order inexistent. As far as democracy is concerned, this concept is totally foreign to Islamic nations, without exceptions, making the entire area much too volatile for our taste.

Personally, I believe that the new coalition government will give pause to the never-ending threats under which the State of Israel is forced to live since day one - as the entire world knows only too well.

i doubt Israel is going to war with Syria as Asad has his hands full with the rebels...But I think Mofaz adds some more diplomacy and tact to Israel to balance Netanyahu's abrassive war mongering against Iran.

As I pointed earlier, it's dogs' avocation to bark. The Israeli caravan will go on silently until the decision is made either to bomb mullahs or to leave them be... then you'll (probably) hear a loud boom!
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In the meanwhile, dogs will bark. Actually, they're doing exactly this: just have a look on this discussion board.
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Good boys!

The highest contribution of Arabs to the world culture, IMHO, is the proverb: Dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.
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Israeli caravan, that is. Goes on in the right (pun intended) direction.
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Now, let's see who deem themselves as dogs. Bark, bark!
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Good boys!

TE: “Mr Mofaz, a former army chief of staff and a one-time defence minister, has been among the many Israeli military men urging restraint over Iran's nuclear threat.”
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Is this blogger too lazy even to check Mr Mofaz's official file?
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His family made aliyah to Israel from Iran. He speaks farsi (the Persian language) as a native, and had his own, quite popular show transmitted by Israeli radio to Iran.
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TE: “...require Israeli Arabs to do national service too, but in a civilian context rather than in the army".
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After the First World War, in which Bulgaria was on Germany's side, the country was forbidden, under the Versailles Treaty, to have armed forces. The Bulgarian Prime Minister of the time, Alexander Stambolijsky invents a bypass: he creates the so called Labour Army consisting of conscripts. Some of the regiments, if need be, could easily change shovels for guns, others, to which mainly Gypsies were drafted, continued to build the country's infrastructure. For many of them those two years in the Labour Army were their life's only period of useful contribution to the economy.
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Good luck to Arab Labour regiments, in or out of the IDF!
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TE: “Mr Mofaz, moreover, urges new activism in the moribund peace process.”
Well, this 'process' urgently needed a fresh blood transfusion, didn't it?
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Though we already know that Mr Mofaz is clearly capable of “putting those things behind and looking ahead”, to use his own words. He may well “accept” (for the time being) the 1967 border as a basis for negotiations, but he doesn't accept uprooting of the Jewish population of Judea and Samaria. He stand for “land swap”.
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Hardly a drastically new development, leave alone “see of change”. Which is another big + for the new coalition.
So, the news is positively good. The ingenious Mr Netanyahu fully deserves his place in Time Magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world. Well done!

Finally, an Israel that is serious about treating Palestinians like people! Hopefully the U.S. will no longer have to apologize to the world for its abusive 'friend' in the mid-East!

Unfortunately, it's taken some 60 years, two Arab oil embargoes, World Trade Center bombing #1, 9/11, billions in wasted aid to Egypt, etc. so they would play nice with Israel, Iraq War II, the Afghanistan war, the global and never-ending War on Terror, enormous secret expenditures on Homeland Security's impossible tasks, as well as spying on all Americans.

it would be interesting if they got rid of mandatory army service altogether and instead created a proffessional military. if it were possible, it would not only enhance civil liberties, but expand the labor force and reduce government spending.

Under Mr.Natanyahu, Israel has become more a theocracy and less a democracy ! HE AND THE RIGHT WINGERS ARE TAKING THIS STATE DOWN A DESTRUCTIVE PATH AND IT IS LIKELY THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO CHAOS AND MAYHEM IN THE MIDDLE EAST . ISRAEL DESPERATELY NEEDS MEN OF GREAT VISION AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE IN IT'S HISTORY . I FEAR FOR THIS TINY COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ! Venkat Warren.M.D.

Netanyahu can make a history for himself and Israel if he can show little more humanity, statement ship,compassion and boldness in resolving the 60+ years Israel-Palestinian issue. He has not to waste any more time but review the past discussions, resolutions, pacts and commitments and accept them as reality and offer a real two-nation deal to Palestinians. He will surely change the skyline of the middle east FOREVER. But if he failed; the 2-nation theory will be dead forever and the state of Israel will continue leave in fear and fighting with their neighbors depending on others for survival.

Intelligent move by Bibi.Put the Haredi Jews and Israeli Arabs together doing support jobs for the regular boys and girls serving in the IDF.Empathy is a good first step towards peace.

"...advocates the immediate creation of a Palestinian state on 60% of the West Bank followed by negotiations over the remainder"

Another excellent idea.Will the PA keep on asking for an everything or nothing deal forever? Against an Israeli national unity government?

With a National Unity government it will be harder to argue that Israel is lead by extremist politicians and that their words are to be taken with a grain of salt.Now, if this new Israeli cabinet says "Iran has to give up its nuclear program or we will go to war" it will be quite clear the threat is for real.

Particularly since "...Mr Mofaz, a former army chief of staff and a one-time defence minister, has been among the many Israeli military men urging restraint over Iran"

Obama may still be reelected under the War-Time-President banner.Or the mullahs may actually give up nuclear research.The chances of a middle of the road muddle-through solution to the Iranian issue have suddenly sharply diminished.

A Russian pointing fingers at others on incompetnce?
Now there's a laugh.

The Jews, who constitute about 2% of world population, account for about 20% of Nobel Laureates.

And as for Israel, it is a country that despite constant threats and attacks, and with no natural resources, has managed to build an economy with a GDP per capita of 32K$ (compared to the 13K$ of oil-soaked Russia).

Putin makes Netanyahu look like a knight in shining armor. There is no rule of law in Russia, only an
FSR [KGB] mafia dominating public life. So funny to see a Russian call any other country "incompetent."

lots of bla bla bla...... not a lot of real political sense from your side

In Syria, the few ancient Soviet ships stopped the entire Mediterranean fleet of NATO. And all what they can it is to train terrorists for sabotage around.
You can believe on your super economy and powerfull army, but with all this Israel can not even calm dowm the Palestine and make a peace for own people on the borders.
Without Wall-Street and Lockheed Martin Israel will cease to exist in a one year. Israel understands that.
In addition, they should understand that if they do not start a war with Iran now, after 5 years will be too late. And the U.S. does not help. U.S. leaves its allies. Look at Georgia. In the case of Israel will be the same. Israel could become a small change in the big political game. And his people will once again become refugees.

How many of the Nobel Laureates who you mention are Israeli citizens? Not all Jews are Israelis. I am not trying to be a smart ass, I truly am curious. Also, if a country has a large amount of Nobel Laureates, does that mean they should have more rights and privileges than countries that have less laureates? In my opinion they shouldn't, but I am getting the sense from your post that you think otherwise.

Your figures on nobel prize are correct, but the proportion of jews is way off! 13 million Jews in world in all (out of 6.8 billion is 0.2% (not 2%).

Imagine that. All the time and money the western and arab medias - UN and NGOs devote to slandering Israel, with its tiny population and land size - simply unbelievable. Why are Africans, Indians, East Asias, South Americans not up in arms about this blatent bias on their welfare? Why does the UN spend huge sums on Palestinans and have a unique defintion of refugees only for these Arabic people?

Your figures on nobel prize are correct, but the proportion of jews is way off! 13 million Jews in world in all (out of 6.8 billion is 0.2% (not 2%).

Imagine that. All the time and money the western and arab medias - UN and NGOs devote to slandering Israel, with its tiny population and land size - simply unbelievable. Why are Africans, Indians, East Asias, South Americans not up in arms about this blatent bias on their welfare? Why does the UN spend huge sums on Palestinans and have a unique defintion of refugees only for these Arabic people?

Priviet Dmitry kuk de lal? It would be very helpfull to this small, incompetent people if the big, high tech wealthy power, Russia, would stop pumping all it's weaponry into it's client Arab states. Most of Israel's problems are as a result of Russia assisting its enemies in thinking that they can one day wipe the country off the map. Thanks to your Government's playing power politics.Spasiba baleshoi!!!

And how putting rifles in haredi hands and enrolling Arab Israeli into national service is supposed to boost the country productivity??? If anything, that will prevent these populations from having more fruitful activities. These measures are still equitable, but I don't see how this will boost the active population, unless these new contingents are compensated by shorter national service for the rest of the population.

Getting the Haredi into mainstream society will be a nice start. Plus, if they're serving in the military they're at least doing something besides sitting on their butts reading the Torah and discriminating against women.

This quote from wikipedia (sourced from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz) shows another reason to get them to serve - job training:

The Shahar program, also known as Shiluv Haredim ("Ultra-Orthodox integration") allows Haredi men aged 22 to 26 to serve in the army for about a year and a half. At the beginning of their service, they study mathematics and English, which are not well covered in Haredi schools. The program is partly aimed at encouraging Haredi participation in the workforce after military service. Not all beneficiaries however seem to be Haredim.

putting Arabs into national service will bring them into society (you do know that the Israelis have been ethnicly cleansing Arabs out for decades, right?) and will give Jews and Arabs more opportunity to get to know each other - and that *should* lead to less violence and a wind-down to the ethnic cleansing (it's a lot harder to hate other/different people when you get to know them... unless they're a**holes of course).

this political deal (if it pans out and brings real reform) is one of the best things to happen in that region in a long time.

Hmph, I guess Netanyahu wasn't willing to throw Israel off a cliff after all. Also wasn't it Livni who refused to join the Likud coalition due to her vociferous stand on settlements? Let's hope that Mofaz forced Netanyahu to concede ground on this issue rather than the other way around.